Combination heater and defroster



COMBINATION HEATER AND DEFROSTER Filed Sept. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

INVENTOR' HENRY w. FINK Sept. 3, 1940.

w. FINK COMBINATION HEATER AND DEFROSTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 7, 1937 INVENTOR HENRYlV. FINK 57V M tg onuzvs Patented Sept. 3, 1940 warren srarss 2,2i3At3 FATENT @FFECE Application September 7, 1937, Serial No. 162,705

7 Claims.

An object of the present invention is to provide a heater of the class described, comprising a main air outlet and a plurality of auxiliary air v outlets, whereby warm air may be conducted to remote portions of the vehicle body such, for example, as the windshield, and suitable air impelling means being provided for circulating air through said outlets, and whereby the heatermay be used for simultaneously heating and as a defroster.

A further object is to provide a heater comprising a casing having a main air outlet and a fan for circulating air through the core thereof and through said main air outlet, and a plurality of auxiliary air outlets being provided in the casing, each having a gradually tapering air passage communicating with the outer portion of the case, and a blower being mounted for rotation in said air passages and adapted to circulate warm or heated air through the auxiliary air outlets at relatively high velocity, and which air may be conducted to the surface of a windshield for defrosting purposes.

Other objects of the invention reside in the unique arrangement of the gradually tapering air passages of the auxiliary air outlets; in the arrangement of the air impelling means at the front of the core, whereby air is simultaneously drawn through the main or central portion of the core and discharged fromsaid main air outlet, while a portion of the air passing through the core is circulated through said gradually tapering air passages, and discharged from said auxiliary air outlets; and, in the general con- .35 struction of the heater including the deflectors provided in the main air outlet, whereby circulation of the warm air from the heater may be controlled. I

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the 5 various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope .of the claims which follow.

50 V In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on the line l-l of Figure 2, showing the general construction of the heater; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 55 22 of Figure 1, showing the gradually tapering air passages which connect the auxiliary air outlets to a portion of the air passages of the heater core.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated a heater com- 5 prising a casing, generally indicated by thenumeral 2, having a front shell 3 detachably secured thereto by suitable screws 6. The front shell 3 has an opening or main air outlet 5 therein, in which is mounted a circular frame 6 carrying a 10 plurality of deflectors 'l. The deflectors are mounted for pivotal adjustment on rods 8 supported by the frame 6.

A suitable core, generally indicated by the numeral 9, is mounted in the casing 2 and is shown 15 concentrically supported therein by suitable members ll, each having an edge portion l2 secured to the casing wall, and having their opposite edge portions i3 suitably secured to the outer wall it of the core. '20

The core, as shown, comprises oppositely disposed tanks I5 and 16, between which a plurality of arcuately formed water circulating tubes H are connected. Suitable fins it are interposed between the tubes H, as is well known in :25 structures of this general type. The tanks l5 and it are provided with suitable pipes l9 and 2!, respectively, whereby the core may be connected to the usual water circulating system of the vehicle engine by suitable conduits, not 30 shown.

The core is shown provided with a central opening 22 adapted to support a motor 23, hav ing a shaft 2 to which a suitable fan 25 is secured. This fan is located between the front 5 wall 28 of the core, and a screen 21 secured to the cylindrical wall 28, which wall preferably is integrally formed with the front shell 3. The cylindrical wall member 28 extends inwardly and has a wall 29 secured thereto by such means as 40 screws 3i. I

An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means whereby a portion of the warm air from the heater may be conducted to a remote portion of the vehicle such, for example, as the windshield. Such means is best shown in Figure 2, and comprises a pair of oppositely disposed auxiliary air outlets 32 formed by the wall 29 and a complemental wall 33, spaced inwardly from the wall 29 by eccentrically disposed wall members 35. The wall members 34 are suitably secured to the spaced parallel walls 29 and 33 by suitable means, such as welding, thereby to provide semi-annular air passages 35 which are eccentrically disposed with respect to the axis of the heater, and gradually enlarge in size in a direction towards their respective auxiliary air outlets 32, as best illustrated in Figure 2. Each wall 34 may be provided at one end with a wall portion 39 for diverting the warm air through the auxiliary outlets 32. The air chambers or spaces 31 between the walls 34 and the outer wall of the casing have no particular utility.

An annular member 38 is provided at the front of the core 9 and is suitably secured in fixed relation with respect thereto, and has its inner edge substantially abutting the frontwall 26 of the core. The annular wall 38 is concentrically disposed With respect to the axis of the heater, and has its outer edge spaced from the wall 29 to provide a gap for receiving a blower 39 having a plurality of blades 4| mounted for rotation exteriorly of the annular wall 38, as best illustrated in Figure 1. The annular wall 38 thus functions to provide the bottoms or inner walls of the air passages 35.

By reference to Figure 1,. it will be noted that the annular wall member 38 is of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the core 9, whereby the air circulating ducts 42 adjacent the periphery of the core communicate with the gradually enlarging air passages 35. Thus, when the fan 25 and blower 39 are operated, warm air will be drawn into the passages 35 by the blower 39, which air is discharged from the heater through the auxiliary outlets 32, as will be readily understood by reference to the drawings.

To simplify construction, the fan and blower are secured together as a unit, whereby they are driven simultaneously by the motor 23.

By gradually enlarging the size of the air passages 35 in the direction of air flow, the warm air drawn through the outer air ducts 42 of the heater core may readily be circulated through said passages 35 at high velocity, whereby ample heat may be provided for defrosting or other purposes. The spaced wall members 29 and 33 and eccentrically disposed wall members 34 are preferably welded or otherwise secured together to provide a unitary structure. This structure is preferably detachably secured to the cylindrical wall 28 of the front shell 3 by the screws 3!, whereby the wall members 29, 33, and 34 may be removed from the heater when the front shell 3 is removed therefrom. The inner wall member 33 is provided with an opening, which preferably is of such size as to be capable of receiving the front end of the core 9, and whereby said opening is sufficiently large to permit the fan and blower unit to readily pass therethrough, when the front shell 3 is removed from the heater.

By constructing the blower 39, as best shown in Figure 1, and by gradually enlarging the air passages 35, in the direction of air flow, the air drawn into the air passages 35 by the blower is readily circulated therethrough and discharges from the auxiliary air passages 32 at relatively high velocity, whereby ample heat may be supplied for defrosting purposes: or for heating remote portions of the vehicle, as desired.

The novel heater herein disclosed, has been found very practical and efficient in actual operation. By arranging the air passages 35 as illustrated in Figure 2, and by the provision of the blower 39, a relatively large volume of warm air is circulated from the heater through the auxiliary outlets 32, which may be conducted to any desired portion of the vehicle body by suitable conduits. There are now heaters on the market which have auxiliary air outlets to which defroster devices may be connected, but to the best of my knowledge, the construction of these heaters is such that the volume of air discharging from the auxiliary outlets thereof is relatively small, and, in some instances, it has been found entirely inadequate to sufficiently defrost a windshield. This objectionable feature has been completely eliminated in the heater herein disclosed, in that the air is discharged through the auxiliary air outlets 32 at high velocity and in sufiicient volume to amply defrost the windshield many other glazed panels to which the warm air may be conducted. Also, by arranging the auxiliary outlets 32 in oppositely disposed relation, as best illustrated in Figure 2, the warm air discharging from said outlets will be substantially uniform in volume, whereby if two or more defrosting devices are connected to the heater, all such devices will operate with substantially the same efiiciency.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heater. of the class described, a casing having a flange defining an air discharge opening, a radiator within the casing, a second casing having one wall having an opening interfitted with said flange, and having an opposite Wall having an opening fitted over the radiator, a

shroud within said second casing, said shroud dividing the second casing into outer and inner chambers into both of which the radiator delivers air, the inner chamber delivering to the aforesaid flange-formed .opening, a first fan operating within the inner chamber to draw air through the radiator and a second fan arranged in the outer chamber the second being connected to the periphery of the first and a motor operating the fans.

2. In a heater of the class described, a casing having a front section having a flange defining an air discharge opening, a radiator in the casing, a plate attached to the radiator and having an opening through which the radiator delivers air, a second plate attached to the flange of said front section, arcuate elements cross-connecting the plate to, in part, form therewith diametrically related communicating air discharge chambers flared in direction of delivery, a shroud within said chamber so associated with the radiator, said plates and said arcuateelements as to form one wall of said discharge chambers, which chambers receive air only from the peripheral portion of the radiator, said shroud further forming a central opening delivering to the aforesaid flange-formed opening, a first fan operating Within the shroud to draw air through the radiator, and a second fan arranged in said discharge chambers and connected to the periphery of the first fan, and a motor first fan.

3. In a heater of the class described, front and rear casing sections and means detachably secming them one to the other, the front section having a flange defining an air discharge opening, a radiator held to and within the rear section, a plate attached to the radiator and having an opening through which the radiator delivers air, a second plate having an opening fitted over the flange of the front section, an element crossconnecting the plates to in part form therewith a chamber, a shroud within said chamber associated with the radiator, said plates and said element to form an air discharge chamber which receives air from a portion of the radiatonsaid shroud further forming a central opening through which the radiator delivers air to the aforesaid flange-formed opening, a first fan operating within the shroud to draw air through the radiator and a second fan arranged in said discharge chamber and connected to the periphery of the first fan and a motor operating the first fan.

4. In a heater of the class described, a first casing having first and second air discharge openings, a radiator in the casing, a second casing within the first casing providing a circumferential chamber adapted to receive air from the radiator and communicating'with the second air discharge opening, means by which one side of the second casing is connected with a removable part of the first casing, the inner curved wall of said circumferential chamber being, in part, defined by a shroud connected to the radiator, said shroud also defining in part a central passage which provides communication between the radiator and the first discharge opening, a fan inthe central passage, a fan in the circumscribing,

chamber, and a motor operating the fans.

5. In a heater of the class described, a first casing having first and second discharge openings, a radiator in the casing, a second casing within the first casing and providing a circumferential chamber which is adapted to receive air from the radiator and communicating with the second air discharge opening, one side-of said second casing having a detachably fitted connection with a part of the first casing, the opposite side of the second casing having an opening receiving the radiator, the inner curved wall of said circumferential chamber being, in part, defined by, a shroud which also defines in part a central passage providing communication between the radiator and the first discharge opening, a fan of the axial delivery type in the central passage, a fan of the radial delivery type in said circumscribing chamber, and a motor operating the fans.

6. vIn a heater of the class described, a casing having a main air outlet in the front Wall thereof and an auxiliary air outlet in another wall, a core in thecasing, a fan for drawing air through the core and discharging it from the heater through said main air outlet, said fan being located between the core and the main air outlet,

an annular member substantially surrounding the fan, and a blower exteriorly of said annular member and driven by the fan, thereby to draw air through a portion of the core and discharge it through the auxiliary air outlet.

7. In a heater of the class described, a casing having a main air outlet and a defroster outlet, an air heating core in the casing, an annular member supported in fixed relation to the front side of the core with an edge thereof substantially engaging the core, a fan mounted within said annular member for circulating air through the central portion of the core, a blower operatively connected tothe fan and disposed exteriorly of said annular member, means cooperating with said annular member to define a spiral- 1y shaped air passage which is in direct communication with the auxiliary air outlet, and in which air passage the blower is supported, and means for controlling the circulation of air from the heater.

HENRY W. FINK. 

